Eva Marie Saint Dies at 102

Alas, the time has come to say goodbye to the great Eva Marie Saint.

Saint has passed away today at the age of 102.

As I shared in my centennial birthday tribute, I was very fortunate to see her in person multiple times over the years, including on stage with Henry Fonda in THE FIRST MONDAY IN OCTOBER. I'm very grateful to have had those experiences; she was a delightful person in every way.

Eva Marie Saint had a wonderful long life, including not only a great career but a happy marriage and family. Still, it's never easy when one of the classic movie greats passes from the scene. I take comfort in knowing that her work will live on for as long as movies exist.

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Quick Preview of TCM in November

Here's a brief peek ahead at what's coming to Turner Classic Movies in November!

Burt Lancaster will be the November Star of the Month, with his films screening on Tuesday evenings.

The TCM Spotlight theme will be band leaders.

The November Noir Alley films will star off with a repeat of the Halloween Val Lewton triple bill on November 1st: THE LEOPARD MAN (1943), THE SEVENTH VICTIME (1943), and CAT PEOPLE (1952).

Over the following four weekends the Noir Alley films will be BREAKDOWN (1952), SLANDER (1957), NORA PRENTISS (1947), and THE GREAT FLAMARION (1945). BREAKDOWN, starring William Bishop, is a TCM premiere.

Filmmakers celebratesd with multi-film tributes in November include Ann Rutherford, James Stewart, Sally Field, Jose Iturbi, Edward Sedgwick, and Mike Nichols.

That's all the information I've been able to gather about the November to this point, but it's a tantalizing look ahead!

I'll have much more about the November schedule posted here around November 1st. In the meantime, enjoy Myrna Loy as the October Star of the Month!

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Warner Archive Collection November Blu-ray Releases

Today the Warner Archive Collection announced their late November releases.

Titles coming to Blu-ray on November 24th:

*BOMBSHELL (1933)

*THE DEVIL'S BROTHER (1933)

*DOUBLE WEDDING (1937)

*BACHELOR MOTHER (1939)

*BABES IN ARMS (1939)

*MY FAVORITE WIFE (1940)

*JOHNNY EAGER (1941)

*THE TWO MRS. CARROLLS (1947)

*THE BELLE OF NEW YORK (1952)

*THE CHARGE AT FEATHER RIVER (1953)

*THE YOGI BEAR SHOW (1961-63)

There are a number of "must have" discs here!  I also want to make readers aware that MovieZyng often has discounts on pre-orders.

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Tonight's Movie: The Human Comedy (1943) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

THE HUMAN COMEDY (1943), one of MGM's most beautiful pieces of '40s Americana, was recently released on Blu-ray by the Warner Archive Collection.

William Saroyan won the Best Original Story Oscar for this "slice of life" tale about a small California town. The movie was nominated for four other Academy Awards, including Best Picture and a well-deserved Best Oscar nomination for Mickey Rooney.

Howard Estabrook and the uncredited Herman J. Mankiewicz wrote the screenplay based on Saroyan's story; Saroyan fleshed out his story into a novel which was published around the same time the movie came out.

The book was part of my 9th grade curriculum here in California, and I was sorry when schools later dropped the optimistic tale in favor of a number of darker books. Although it wasn't part of the homeschooling curriculum I used with my own children, I omitted one of the books they were scheduled to read and gave them THE HUMAN COMEDY to read instead. The copy on our bookshelf looks like this one.

In the film version Rooney plays Homer Macauley, a high schooler who takes a part-time job delivering telegrams after his brother Marcus (Van Johnson) goes to serve in the war.

Homer's father (Ray Collins) has passed away, and Homer is helping to support his mother (Fay Bainter), sister Bess (Donna Reed), and little brother Ulysses (Jackie Jenkins).

Over the course of the movie's 117 minutes we also get to know Marcus's sweetheart Mary (Dorothy Morris), who lives next door; Homer's boss Tom (James Craig) and the telegraph operator (Frank Morgan); Tom's fiancee Diana (Marsha Hunt) and her parents (Katharine Alexander and Henry O'Neill); Ulysses' neighborhood friend Lionel (Darryl Hickman); and a trio of soldiers in town on leave (Barry Nelson, Don DeFore, and Robert Mitchum).

The movie, sensitively directed by Clarence Brown, is about everything and nothing; one of my favorite sequences finds Lionel and Ulysses simply wandering a library in wonder. The closest film I can compare it to is Powell and Pressburger's wartime paean to England, A CANTERBURY TALE (1944), which came out in the UK a year after THE HUMAN COMEDY debuted in the United States.

There are those -- probably the same types who struggle to enjoy RANDOM HARVEST (1942) -- who find THE HUMAN COMEDY too sentimental or too positive about our country, but don't count me among them. It's a moving story about a highly functional family, despite having difficulties to bear, and in depicting this family and their town the film also shows what was -- is -- fine about our country and why our nation was fighting. And no one did this type of film better than MGM.

It particularly must be said that this was Rooney's finest hour, in an understated, perfect performance as young Homer. Delivering telegrams forces Homer to grow up quickly, given that they often contained bad news during the war years.  Rooney plays the role in a quiet way which never hits mawkishness despite the situations in which Homer finds himself.

The entire cast is excellent. In addition to those mentioned above, the supporting cast includes John Craven, Mary Nash, Ann Ayars, Adeline De Walt Reynolds, Morris Ankrum, Alan Baxter, Frank Jenks, Clem Bevans, and Rita Quigley.

The movie was filmed in black and white by Harry Stradling (Sr.).

The Blu-ray print is from a 1080p HD master from a 4K scan of the "best preservation elements" available. Both the Blu-ray print and sound quality are excellent.

Disc extras consist of the trailer; an 11-minute Passing Parade short, DON'T YOU BELIEVE IT (1943); the cartoon BLITZ WOLF (1942); and two radio productions, a 1943 Screen Guild Theater broadcast with Rooney and MOrgan and a 1949 Screen Director's Playhouse broadcast with Rooney, Francis X. Bushman, and director Clarence Brown. Optional English language captions come standard on Warner Archive Blu-rays.

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray. Warner Archive Blu-rays may be ordered from Movie Zyng, Amazon, and other online retailers.

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Tonight's Movie: The Teckman Mystery (1954) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

Over the past year or more Kino Lorber Studio Classics has released several sets of both French and "Brit" Noir, providing classic film viewers with interesting films which many of us in the U.S. are watching for the first time.

As mentioned yesterday, French Noir III is coming soon, and since July Kino Lorber has released Volumes III and IV of Brit Noir.

As I continue to enjoy digging into these films, I've now watched THE TECKMAN MYSTERY (1954), which is part of Brit Noir Collection IV.

Echoing LEAVE HER TO HEAVEN (1945), which finds Gene Tierney recognizing Cornel Wilde as the author of the book she's been reading on a train, THE TECKMAN MYSTERY begins with Margaret Leighton realizing that her seatmate on a plane, Philip Chance (John Justin), is the author of her current read.

THE TECKMAN MYSTERY goes one step past that in coincidences; it turns out that Leighton's character, Helen Teckman, is the sister of Chance's next writing subject. Is their meeting "chance," to use a play on the hero's name, or perhaps not?

Chance tells Helen that his publisher wants him to write a biography of Martin Teckman, a recently deceased test pilot, as the previously assigned writer has been hit by a car and seriously injured.

Chance arrives home from his flight to discover his flat has been ransacked, and shortly thereafter the body of a man (George Coulouris) he's interviewed for the new book turns up in his apartment as well.

Things become increasingly concerning and strange, but fortunately Scotland Yard is on the case, in the form of Roland Culver and Duncan Lamont.

Meanwhile Chance begins to develop a romance with Helen...but should he?

Though perhaps overloaded with initial coincidences, the script by Francis Durbridge and James Matthews starts out in intriguing fashion, as Chance continues to be confronted with perplexing situations.

I did think the film went on too long at 90 minutes, but I enjoyed the police procedural aspects -- Culver and Lamont were my favorite characters -- as well as the London locations. A climactic sequence was filmed at the Tower of London, which, having been there, I found great fun.

At times the movie is reminiscent of Hitchcock, to the point where my husband, near movie's end, inquired if Bernard Herrmann had scored it. (The composer was Clifton Parker.) And indeed, the climax seems to echo Hitchcock's FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT (1940) and SABOTEUR (1942), while anticipating his VERTIGO (1958).

Drawing these types of connections with other films is part of the pleasure for me, even if the movie was a bit too lethargic.

The cast is good, particularly the previously mentioned Culver and Lamont, and I enjoyed seeing Margaret Leighton (THE HOLLY AND THE IVY) in a new-to-me film.

Justin's Chance seems curiously unbothered by the odd situations in which he finds himself, in a dashing "minor Cary Grant" sort of way which is interesting in itself.

It's of note that the movie was directed by a woman, Wendy Toye. The cinematographer was Jack Hildyard.

The good-looking, crisp black and white print is from a 4K restoration. Sound quality is solid as well.

Extras consist of a commentary track by Daniel Kremer plus a gallery of five trailers for other films available from Kino Lorber.

Previous reviews from Volumes I and II include CAGE OF GOLD (1950), THE LONG ARM (1956), and THE FRIGHTENED CITY (1961).

Look for additional reviews from all four sets here in the future!

Thanks to Kino Lorber for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray collection.

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TCM Star of the Month: Myrna Loy

The wonderful Myrna Loy is the October Star of the Month on Turner Classic Movies.

A whopping 56 Loy films will be shown every Monday this month, in both the daytime and prime time hours.

Loy was previously honored as the Star of the Month at least three times, in May 1995, September 2004, and December 2016.

The entire schedule appears below. Please click any hyperlinked title for a complete review.

October 5th

NOAH'S ARK (1928)

THE SQUALL (1929)

THE GREAT DIVIDE (1929)

SHOW OF SHOWS (1929)

THE TRUTH ABOUT YOUTH (1030)

THE NAUGHTY FLIRT (1930)

CONSOLATION MARRIAGE (1931)

REBOUND (1931)

LIBELED LADY (1936)

I LOVE YOU AGAIN (1940)

LOVE CRAZY (1941)

DOUBLE WEDDING (1937)

EVELYN PRENTICE (1934)

MANHATTAN MELODRAMA (1934)

THE GREAT ZIEGFELD (1936)

October 12th

VANITY FAIR (1932)

THE WET PARADE (1932)

NEW MORALS FOR OLD (1932)

LOVE ME TONIGHT (1932)

THIRTEEN WOMEN (1932)

THE MASK OF FU MANCHU (1932)

THE ANIMAL KINGDOM (1932)

THE THIN MAN (1934)

AFTER THE THIN MAN (1936)

ANOTHER THIN MAN (1939)

SHADOW OF THE THIN MAN (1941)

THE THIN MAN GOES HOME (1945)

SONG OF THE THIN MAN (1947)

October 19th

THE BARBARIAN (1933)

WHEN LADIES MEET (1933)

PENTHOUSE (1933)

NIGHT FLIGHT (1933)

THE PRIZEFIGHTER AND THE LADY (1933)

MEN IN WHITE (1934)

STAMBOUL QUEST (1934)

THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES (1946)

THE RED PONY (1949)

MR. BLANDINGS BUILDS HIS DREAM HOUSE (1948)

THE BACHELOR AND THE BOBBY-SOXER (1947)

THIRD FINGER, LEFT HAND (1940)

SO GOES MY LOVE (1947)

October 26th

WHIPSAW (1935)

WIFE VS. SECRETARY (1936)

PETTICOAT FEVER (1936)

PARNELL (1937)

MAN-PROOF (1938) (also here)

TEST PILOT (1938)

TOO HOT TO HANDLE (1938)

LUCKY NIGHT (1939)

CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN (1950)

FROM THE TERRACE (1960)

AIRPORT 1975 (1974) (also here)

LONELYHEARTS (1958)

THE AMBASSADOR'S DAUGHTER (1956)

There are many wonderful hours of entertainment ahead! I love many of these films; particular favorites include LOVE ME TONIGHT, PENTHOUSE, THE THIN MAN, LIBELED LADY, WIFE VS. SECRETARY, and THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES.

For more on TCM in October 2026, please visit my posts Quick Preview of TCM in October and TCM in October: Highlights, along with TCM's online schedule.

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Around the Blogosphere This Week

Miscellaneous bits of news and fun stuff from around the Internet...

...Kino Lorber Studio Classics has announced the very welcome French Noir Collection III, featuring THE LAST ONE OF SIX (1941), THE MOMENT OF TRUTH (1952), THE STRANGE MR. STEVE (1957), and PARIS PICK-UP (1962). The set, said to be "coming soon," features favorite names like Jean Gabin and Lino Ventura. Can't wait!

...Kino Lorber has also firmed up the release date for the previously announced Dark Side of Cinema XXVIII collection. It will be out November 17th and features CITADEL OF CRIME (1941), CRY DANGER (1951), and TERROR AT MIDNIGHT (1956).

...I'll also be reviewing Kino Lorber's Blu-ray release of DUPLICITY (2009), starring Julia Roberts and Clive Owen, which is due out at the very end of October.

...For those interested in Disney history, there are a couple notable books this fall. Former CEO Bob Chapek's memoir, BEHIND THE CASTLE WALLS: MY THIRTY YEARS AT THE HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH was just published by Simon & Schuster's Gallery Books imprint. And coming December 1st: THE HOUSE OF MOUSE: BOB IGER AND THE WAR OF SUCCESSION AT DISNEY by Robbie Whelan for Harper Collins. (Thanks to Keith Buczak for the info on the latter title.)

...More Disney reading: Filmmaker Ron Clements' long-awaited book MAKING DISNEY MAGIC...FROM A MERMAID TO MOANA will be out October 13th from Disney Editions Deluxe.

...Speaking of Disney, I'm curious about the fact they're licensing some properties for showing on Netflix, given they have their own Disney+ streaming service.

...I learned at the D23 Expo this summer that adult color by number Disney books are currently popular. SEASONS is one of several Disney coloring books out this fall.

...The latest CineSavant Blu-ray reviews from Glenn Erickson include THE HUMAN COMEDY (1943) from the Warner Archive Collection and THE LOVE TRAP (1929) from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

...The great Joel McCrea Western FOUR FACES WEST (1948) is being remade by writer-director John Sayles, with Chris Cooper and Amy Madigan. Curiously, Variety mentions nothing about the original film, just the written source material.

...There's plenty of horror on hand as part of this month's Criterion Channel streaming lineup.

...ClassicFlix will be restoring Season 1 of the TV series I LED THREE LIVES (1953-56) starring Richard Carlson. It should be out in 2027.

...Great news from Flicker Alley: The company will be releasing a new restoration of THE CROWD (1928) on December 8th...and coming in the future, a 4K restoration of SUNRISE: A SONG OF TWO HUMANS (1927).

...I was curious about a trailer for BEHEMOTH (2026), about a studio cellist, when I saw it a few days ago. Pedro Pascal stars in this film, written and directed by Tony Gilroy. It will be out in December.

...At Comet Over Hollywood, Jessica has reviewed two lesser-known college musicals, COLLEGIATE (1935) and FRESHMAN YEAR (1938). The latter stars fave William Lundigan.

...The Mary Poppins novels by P.L. Travers -- which are quite a bit different in tone from the 1964 Disney film -- may be produced for TV. It's not an exaggeration to say that I had a few nightmares inspired by the books!

...The Fast & Furious franchise may become a TV series as well...

...Over at Riding the High Country, Colin has reviewed Robert Mitchum, Marilyn Monroe, and Rory Calhoun in RIVER OF NO RETURN (1954).

...Here's Hallmark's 34-film 2026 Christmas schedule! The Christmas movies kick off on October 16th.

...Publishing next February: MULHOLLAND DRIVE: SEDUCTIVE CURVES, FIERY CANYONS, AND THE MAKING OF THE AMERICAN DREAM by Paul Haddad, author of FREEWAYTOPIA: HOW FREEWAYS SHAPED LOS ANGELES. The publisher of MULHOLLAND DRIVE is Chicago Review Press.

...When I was at Cinecon last month I received an ad for a set of restored John Wayne "B" films, John Wayne: Birth of a Legend. It contains 16 of his '30s "B" Westerns; 14 were sourced from 4K scans of 35mm original nitrate camera negatives; the other two films are from "best available sources." I'm told this is the best these films have ever looked. Toby lists all the titles at 50 Westerns From the 50s.

...The Criterion Collection will release THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER (1940) on Blu-ray and 4K on December 15th. It's a bit curious to me, given that the Warner Archive Collection Blu-ray came out just six years ago. The Criterion Collection edition features the same two radio shows as appeared on the WAC Blu-ray, but does have a new commentary track by Joseph McBride, author of HOW DID LUBITSCH DO IT?

...Coming later this month for fall cookbook season: SIMPLY INA: A BAREFOOT CONTESSA COOKBOOK by Ina Garten.

...Blu-ray release dates for recent films I've enjoyed: MOANA (2026) will be out on Blu-ray October 6th...COYOTE VS. ACME (2026) arrives on disc December 1st...SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY (2026) releases on Blu-ray December 15th.

...Published by McFarland this past July: THE TRAGEDY OF RITA JOHNSON: FAME AND MISFORTUNE IN GOLDEN AGE HOLLYWOOD by Michael D. Rinella. This will be a "must read" for me.

...The Hollywood Reporter published an excerpt from JUNGLE RED: THE MAKING OF MGM'S THE WOMEN, a new book by actress Illeana Douglas.

...Notable Passings: Actress Mary Louise Weller (ANIMAL HOUSE) has died at 79...Costume designer Bob Mackie has passed on at 87...The May passing of actress Anjanette Comer was recently announced. She was 86. She worked very regularly in episodic television...Also just announced was the July passing of James Sloyan, another busy working actor for three decades. He's survived by his wife, actress Deirdre Lenihan, who played Daisy Garner in several episodes of THE WALTONS...Longtime Hollywood Reporter columnist Martin Grove, who specialized in box office reporting, has passed away at 83.

...Please note that Around the Blogosphere This Week will not appear for the next two weekends, when I'll be traveling, including attending the 2026 Lone Pine Film Festival. The column will return on Saturday, October 24th. I am prescheduling a few posts for while I'm away, so please check back from time to time for new content.

For additional recent links of interest to classic film fans, please visit my September 12th column.

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Tonight's Movie: Unmasked (1950) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

I first saw UNMASKED (1950), a 60-minute Republic Pictures "B" film, at the 2025 Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival.

I loved it and said it was probably my "favorite" new-to-me film of the festival.

Now, to my delight, UNMASKED is available on Blu-ray in a beautiful print as part of the Dark Side of Cinema XXVII Collection from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

Even better? It has a commentary track by Alan K. Rode, who programmed the movie as producer and host of the Arthur Lyons Festival.

I never would have dreamed, once upon a time, that a film such as this would receive such a wonderful Blu-ray treatment. And this set also includes a 1941 Bob Steele picture, THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY (1941) which I reviewed a couple weeks ago; my "B" movie cup runneth over!

Lest anyone think UNMASKED is a "classic" film, I'll quote my instant Twitter impression from my first viewing again: "Great cast, short, fast-paced, and slightly stupid at times, in the most delightful ways. Loved it."

Raymond Burr stars as Roger Lewis, a tabloid publisher who strangles his mistress Doris (Hillary Brooke) in the early going. This enables him to tear up IOUs for substantial sums he owed Doris. And did I mention he's also dating his secretary Mona (Grace Gillern)?

A brief intermission: A few years ago Toby posted a brief but lovely tribute to Hillary Brooke at The Hannibal 8. She really does turn up in the most interesting places.

Back to UNMASKED: Roger frames Doris's hapless husband Harry (Paul Jackson) for the murder. Harry's daughter Linda (Barbra Fuller) and Lt. Jim Webster (Robert Rockwell) gather evidence to solve the case and, as far as Linda hopes, clear her father.

This hour, written by Albert DeMond and Norman S. Hall from a story by Manuel Seff and Paul Yawitz, flies by at a breakneck pace thanks to the direction of George Blair and tight editing by Robert M. Leeds. Murder! Jailbreak! Mobsters! Shoot-out! Romance!

It's one of those movies I like to say isn't great art but is great fun, including performances which are, at times, slightly awkward. Fuller was a longtime radio actress and comes across as confident yet not a standard-issue leading lady.

And as for Burr, he absolutely nails Lewis as an utter creep. Perry Mason he's not!

The supporting cast includes John Eldredge, Norman Budd, Emory Parnell, Barbara Pepper, Harry Harvey, Charles Trowbridge, and Russell Hicks.

The movie was filmed in black and white by Bud Thackery. It was restored by Paramount Pictures, which owns the rights.

In addition to the previously mentioned commentary track by Alan K. Rode, the disc includes three trailers for other films available from Kino Lorber.

I'll be reviewing the final film in the set, THE MAN IS ARMED! (1956), at a future date. It's another Republic Pictures film, starring Dane Clark and Burr's future PERRY MASON costar, William Talman.

Thanks to Kino Lorber for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray collection.

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John Wayne Giveaway Finale!

Thanks to everyone who participated in my John Wayne Giveaway quiz, which concluded earlier this week.

Several participants answered all five questions correctly. I drew an email address from among those entries which had all answers correct.

I have contacted the winner by email but have not yet received a response. If I don't receive a reply in the next few days I will draw a backup winner, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it!  Next week I'll update this post either way.

Here are the correct quiz answers:

Q. John Wayne made how many films with director Howard Hawks?

A. Five.

Q. Which actor had the most speaking parts in movies starring John Wayne?

A. Paul Fix.

Q.What was the first film released by John Wayne and Robert Fellows' production cpmany Batjac Productions?

A. BIG JIM MCLAIN (1952).

Q. Which actress did NOT appear in a film with John Wayne?

A. Kay Francis.

Q. In SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON what is the name of the fort where Captain Nathan Brittles is assigned?

A. Fort Starke.

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